The methods and devices of this type are used, for example, in games—for generating random elements from a plurality of elements. Drawing an element is performed by forcing a random move of the device, followed by readout of the result from the device being in a rest position. The simplest example of a purely mechanical random result generating device is a cubic die; however, devices of different shapes, having from two to one hundred rest positions, are known in the state of the art.
A wireless cubic die comprising a position detector and a transmitter for transmitting die position data to the receiver is known from US patent description No. US 2009/0104976 (Philips Intellectual Property & Standards). The position detector comprises piezoelectric sensors with cantilevers or a movable magnet combined with a sensing coil. A disadvantage of this solution is the limited possibility of reading the parameters of the movement of the body, especially in the case of lack of contact with a surface, as well as the limited angle resolution.
Electronic dice for computer games, having n faces, where n is greater than 2, and n−1 position sensors, is known from the patent No. U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,145 (Cibro Technologies Ltd). The sensors comprise RFID transponders or optical sensors, wherein the face lying on the surface is identified. A drawback of this solution is, again, the limited possibility of reading the movement parameters of the body, especially when it does not contact the surface. Another drawback are technology-related complications in the housing of multi-face dice. This type of solution cannot be applied to dice having two stable positions.
Polish patent application No. P.394858, in the name of the originator of the present invention, discloses an application of an accelerometer for observing the trajectory of movement of the body and reading its rest position.
None of the said solutions provides for the possibility to monitor the spinning of the device's body while in the air, along the lines of the gravitational field forces. Also the accuracy of surveillance of the movement of the device only by means of an accelerometer is insufficient in some applications, especially in the case of games.